Bukit Merah Planning Area

Bukit Merah
Planning Area and HDB Town
Other transcription(s)
• Chinese	红山
• Pinyin	Hóng Shān
• Hokkien	âng-soaⁿ
• Malay	Bukit Merah
• Tamil	புக்கிட் மேரா
• Cantonese	Hung Saan
From top left to right: HarbourFront, Singapore Improvement Trust flats in Tiong Bahru, Skyline of Redhill, Henderson Waves, Jetty at Labrador Nature Reserve
Bukit Merah Location of Bukit Merah within Singapore
Coordinates: 1°16′54.86″N 103°49′26.11″E / 1.2819056°N 103.8239194°E / 1.2819056; 103.8239194
Country	Singapore
Region	Central Region
CDCs	Central Singapore CDC South West CDC
Town councils	Jalan Besar Town Council Tanjong Pagar Town Council West Coast Town Council
Constituencies	Jalan Besar GRC Radin Mas SMC Tanjong Pagar GRC West Coast GRC
Government
• Mayors	Central Singapore CDC Denise Phua South West CDC Low Yen Ling
• Members of Parliament	Jalan Besar GRC Lily Neo Radin Mas SMC Sam Tan Tanjong Pagar GRC Chia Shi Lu Indranee Rajah Joan Pereira West Coast GRC Lim Hng Kiang
Area
• Total	14.34 km2 (5.54 sq mi)
• Residential	3.12 km2 (1.20 sq mi)
Population (2015)
• Total	155,840
• Density	11,000/km2 (28,000/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Official Bukit Merah resident Colloquial Bukit Meraher Bukit Merahian
Ethnic groups
• Chinese	122,610
• Malays	13,400
• Indians	15,120
• Others	4,710
Postal districts	2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10
Dwelling units	51,885
Projected ultimate	68,000

Central Region

Central Singapore CDC

South West CDC

Jalan Besar GRC

Radin Mas SMC

Tanjong Pagar GRC

West Coast GRC

Official

Colloquial

Bukit Merah (Chinese: 红山, Tamil: புக்கிட் மேரா), also abbreviated as either Bt Merah or BM, is a planning area and new town situated in the southernmost part of the Central Region of Singapore. The planning area borders Tanglin to the north, Queenstown to the west and the Downtown Core, Outram and Singapore River planning areas of the Central Area to the east. Bukit Merah also shares a maritime boundary with the Southern Islands planning area located beyond its southernmost point. Bukit Merah is the most populated planning area in the Central Region, and the 10th most populated planning area in the country overall, being home to more than 150,000 residents.

Bukit Merah (Jawi: بوكيت ميره) translates to "Red Hill" in Malay, and is a reference to the red-couloured lateritic soil found on the hill. According to the Sejarah Melayu, Singapore used to be plagued by swordfish attacking the people living in the coastal regions. A young boy named Hang Nadim proposed an ingenious solution, to build a wall of banana stems along the coast at the present location of Tanjong Pagar. When the swordfish attacked, their snouts were stuck in the stems. With the swordfish problem solved, Hang Nadim earned great respect from the people, but also jealousy from the rulers. The King, Paduka Seri Maharaja, finally ordered his execution, and it was said that his blood soaked the soil of the hill where he was killed, giving rise to the red-coloured hill.